The Power of Purpose

Monday, August 05, 2013

“When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.” – Seneca

Dear Friends,

If you haven’t spent your time in a cave recently, you may have heard, read, listened, attended a seminar or two, about purpose, and the importance of having one:-). We have, not the cave bit, but the purpose bit:-)! And precisely the omnipresence of all things relating to purpose, has prompted us to dedicate this week’s note to it… To discuss why it is so important to have one!

One other thing we would like to point out here is, that we are in no way proposing one-size-fits-all kind of purpose, but rather invite you think what your purpose in life might be, or what it is if you are one of the lucky few who has found one…And are pursuing it. Actively!
You see, many people talk about it, yet very few are ready and clear on what their life purpose is. It is not enough to talk and think about, it is important to know it, be it, pursue it and actively do it!

The purpose of a purpose

The kind of purpose we are referring here is one purpose! One thing you wish to accomplish or do or be. Not several. Not purpose-hopping in order to create a billion dollar startup this week, write a best-selling novel the next, and/or save the children, animals, planet the following. One purpose. Something you can organize your thinking and actions around.

Because here is the deal. A person without a purpose is like a ship without a destination, drifting here because of the currents. Drifting there because of the wind. A ship without a destination is almost as bad as a ship without a captain, but it’s not going anywhere… in particular… and where it ends up depends entirely on circumstances.

And surely that is not where one would want to find oneself -amid the plethora of circumstances?! Yet, many people, especially the purpose-hopping ones, find themselves being the victims of circumstances. You know, life, things, lack of time, bad timing, other people, you name it…There’s no end to their stories.

Purpose is a matter of choice

And, what if you haven’t found your purpose, yet? You cannot really wait for it to be delivered to you in a sealed envelope:-). But you can make a decision. You can choose your purpose. And it is a free choice you yourself will have to make. Sure, other people may influence you, but they cannot make the choice for you.

And maybe it won’t be entirely a decision made only by your conscious mind, but rather something deeply influenced by the entirety of your being. A bit like falling in love in some ways.

One thing we’d like to state – there is absolutely no “must” involved in this. People live perfectly happy and fulfilling lives without choosing a life purpose. But if you want to release your inner titan, if you want to be a force to be reckoned with, if you want to transform yourself from someone with huge potential into someone who IS and DOES, then choosing a purpose is a damn fine first step.

Many people actually have a purpose, but rather than living it, they prefer to talk about it, to chat about it with their friends. Actually living to fulfill a purpose may well require sacrifices. Like getting out of that comfort zone of familiarity.

At the same time, having a clear definite purpose to your life simplifies things. You know where you are going. You know in which direction you want to move. It is a single intention around which you organize your life. Decisions become simple questions about what most furthers your intent.

With this in mind may we invite you to take some time, and ponder on purpose. Let us know what you discover! We had an absolute ball with ours (discoveries):-)!